Frontline human rights activist Aisha Yesufu has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has effectively lost the 2027 presidential election, accusing him of chasing political power without popular legitimacy.

Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Yesufu argued that the president’s reported efforts to woo state governors into the All Progressives Congress APC reveal deep insecurity about his political standing and a lack of genuine support among ordinary Nigerians.

According to her, the strategy of building a coalition of governors is an old playbook that no longer guarantees electoral success. She recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party once controlled the majority of state governments yet still lost power at the federal level when public sentiment turned against it.

“Bola Tinubu has already lost; that’s why he is looking for governors that he’d put together to have an illusion of power. Once upon a time, PDP had over 20 governors; it didn’t stop them from losing the election when it was time for them to lose,” she said, insisting that political structures cannot replace genuine popularity.

Yesufu claimed that the ruling party is struggling to inspire enthusiasm among citizens, alleging that even its membership drives and online platforms have failed to attract meaningful engagement. In contrast, she pointed to smaller opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress ADC, as gaining traction and passion among segments of the electorate.

Beyond electoral calculations, the activist delivered a scathing assessment of the state of the nation under Tinubu’s leadership. She described Nigeria as a “glitch,” arguing that key sectors have ground to a halt while citizens grapple with worsening hardship.

“Right now, Nigeria as a whole is a glitch. There is nothing working, whether economically or in terms of security; we don’t have any of that,” she said. She cited rising insecurity, frequent abductions, and brazen attacks by armed groups as evidence that governance has failed at the most basic level.

Yesufu maintained that Nigerians are living through a period of paralysis in which government appears unable or unwilling to protect lives, stabilise the economy, or restore public confidence. In her view, this deep disillusionment will ultimately define the political landscape heading into 2027, regardless of how many governors align with the president.